Archives: The Nanyang Mystery

The mystery began in Balai, Nanyang, during what was supposed to be a joyous wedding ceremony. Amidst the celebrations, a putrid, sickening stench suddenly filled the air, originating from a bizarre wedding gift presented by the clan. The bride and groom were urged to abandon their mortal bodies in exchange for everything a human could ever desire. Not long after, the mutilated corpses of the groom's family were discovered in a salt marsh deep in Nanyang.

Zhang Hailou and Zhang Haixia smuggled themselves into Xucheng by playing dead to avoid paying the steep head tax. Upon entering, they found the city in ruins, littered with lifeless bodies despite no reports of plagues or bandit attacks. Upon closer inspection of the corpses, Zhang Haixia noted a bluish-purple coloration on one victim's face and an angle of compression on the neck, indicating death by suffocation. Another body nearby had slit wrists.

Following their decision to venture into the depths of the reef cave to resolve the crisis, Zhang Hailou and Zhang Haixia made their way inside despite the desperate warnings of onlookers to stay away. Inside, they discovered a calcified Ming Dynasty shipwreck that had merged completely with the surrounding reef, filling the damp air with a heavy stench of rotting flesh. Deep within the ship's hold, they found decayed corpses suspended in bags.

Deep in the rainforest, an archaeological expedition team led by Professor Warner had been excavating for months in search of ancient treasures. Suddenly, a mysterious, disguised woman carrying severed arms breached their camp. Recognizing a dark black magic curse, she sought out Warner to make a deal. The woman was actually Zhang Haiqi in disguise.

Determined to uncover the truth and save Zhang Haixia as quickly as possible, Zhang Hailou began his investigation on the Nan'an. To gather clues, he played cards with three crew members, deliberately losing money to get them to talk. Once Steven grew tired of watching him lose and stepped outside after lending him some money, Zhang Hailou distributed the cash among the crew.

In a deep shaft in the ship's hold, Zhang Hailou discovered a body trapped by a living Evil God. Seeing flies swarming around it, he deduced the person had died recently and decided to climb down to investigate. He instructed Steven to stay above as a lookout. If any danger arose or if the creature reanimated, Steven was supposed to break the head off a small hostage statue they had; otherwise, they would both be doomed.

Zhang Haixia was not trapped in a fantasy. He knew he had been poisoned because he smelled the distinct stench of cured meat when he first met Chen Xifeng—a foul odor that went entirely unnoticed by the others on the ship. Realizing his perception was altered, he knew his mind was playing tricks on him. Despite his paralyzed legs, his intellect remained fully functional, allowing him to set a series of traps in his room to capture his assailant.

He Jianxi slowly regained consciousness after being in a coma for an entire day, only to find himself confronted by a startling truth. He asked the man before him if he was truly the infamous Plague. Zhang Hailou merely smiled, praising Jianxi’s incredibly sharp sense of smell, which allowed him to detect even the faintest trace of turmeric. The talent strongly reminded Hailou of his close friend, Zhang Haixia. Hailou had already packed up almost all of Jianxi’s belongings.

Fleeing the pursuing assassins, Zhang Hailou used his exceptional martial arts skills to carry He Jianxi up to the third floor, slipping into Steven's private bathroom while the killers searched the lower decks. Exhausted and weak, Zhang Hailou revealed to He Jianxi that he had been poisoned. He Jianxi sarcastically remarked that as the dreaded Plague, Zhang Hailou should have planned for such a setback. Ignoring the banter, Zhang Hailou focused on their immediate survival.

During the chaotic struggle in the cargo hold, Zhang Hailou fought desperately against the onslaught of assassins. He Jianxi remained in the shadows, using his keen senses to monitor the surroundings and warn Zhang Hailou of incoming threats, shouting that the attackers were trying to wear him down. However, the killers eventually noticed He Jianxi and charged at him. Zhang Haiqi suddenly intervened from the darkness, effortlessly dispatching the threat and saving He Jianxi's life.

Zhang Hailou and He Jianxi finally arrived in Xiacheng, exhausted from their long journey. As they stepped ashore, Zhang Hailou looked around, his mind drifting back to a memory of Zhang Haixia. He recalled how he had promised to take him to Balongzhou to make a name for themselves, so they could eventually return to Xiacheng in glory to see their mentor.

In the Dong Residence, Zhang Hailou is devastated by the revelation of his past mistakes. He demands to know who the woman posing as Miss Dong really is and where his master, Zhang Haiqi, is. She coldly lies to him, claiming his master is dead along with everyone else except the two of them.

Zhang Haiqi returned to the Dong Mansion, heavily wounded from her previous encounter at the military base. Recognizing the imminent danger, she urged Mr. Dong to take his family and flee Xiacheng immediately, suggesting they go out to sea. However, Mr. Dong refused to leave her behind. He reasoned that because they were in the foreign concession and she was widely known as the daughter of the influential Ship King, no one would dare to make a move against them.

Zhang Hailou finally steps into the Southern Archives, a moment he has anticipated for ten years. His companion, who is posing as He Jianxi, marvels at the spectacular sight and asks what the Archives actually does. Zhang Hailou explains that it was a secret organization under the Maritime Supervisory Office, dedicated to investigating and cataloging all the bizarre anomalies of the southern lands.